In aircraft and in other structures, there is often a need for a light metal, i.e. one having a density less than about 3 g/cm.sup.3, which is both strong (in terms of tensile and yield strength) and stiff. It is known that light metal (aluminum) composites with silicon carbide can have moduli measuring in excess of about 90 GPa and measuring as high as even 140 GPa. While these aluminum-silicon carbide or boron carbide composites are useful, they are not particularly strong at high temperatures and, at the higher moduli, are relatively brittle.
It is the object of the invention to provide aluminum-base alloys having a combination of high moduli of elasticity and strengths and more particularly to provide aluminum-base alloys which have reasonable tensile elongations coupled with high room and elevated temperature strengths and high moduli.